AS HE WENT back down into the underground, he made a quick series of decisions. He was going to find out what had happened to Tiger, but he had to be careful about how he went about it. Finding Tiger probably meant finding where the Cats laired, and all of the tribes were very territorial. If the Ghosts went uninvited into Cat country, even for what they deemed a good cause, they could expect an unfriendly reception. Still, the larger problem was in finding where Cat country was. He knew it was in an abandoned condo building somewhere north of midtown, but he didn’t know the exact location. He would need help from Cheney.
By the same token, he had to make certain that Owl and Squirrel, who would remain behind, were sufficiently protected against anything that might threaten them in his absence. Since Cheney would be with him, he guessed he would have to give the job to Bear.
He was almost to the steel door when he realized that someone was following him. He wheeled back to find Panther right behind him.
“Wait up, Bird-Man,” the other boy told him, the expression on his dark face reflecting irritation and impatience. “Talk to me. What you plannin’
to do?
Go lookin’ for the *cats?”
“I told you to wait upstairs.”
Panther snorted. “You not the boss of me, Bird-Man. So tell me.
This your plan? Huntin’ for the Cats?”
Hawk glared. “Cheney can find them.”
“How he gonna to that? Don’t he need their scent? You got that? You got a piece of clothing or something?”
Hawk just stared. He didn’t, of course.
“Tole you before. This ain’t none of our business.”
Hawk took a deep breath. “Not everything we do in this world is about us, Panther. Sometimes we have do things for other reasons. Sometimes we’ve got to forget about ourselves and help others. If not, what’s the point?”
“The point, man, is that we get to stay alive! You don’t think that’s what we supposed to be doin’ with ourselves?”
“I think that’s the point. I just don’t think that’s the only point.”
“Huh! Well, it is for me!”
They were nose-to-nose now, and seconds away from a fight. It had never happened before, although Hawk had suspected for a long time that Panther wanted it. If they fought and Panther won, he would have proved something to himself, although Hawk didn’t know exactly what.
He straightened. “Okay, you think what you want. You got the right.
But it doesn’t matter what you think. I got the pleneten for Persia, and I’m going to find her and give it to her. She’s just a little girl and she needs help. You don’t want to help her, then don’t. Stay here and watch Owl and Squirrel, and I’ll take Bear.”
“Hey, no one said nuthin’ about not goin’ with you,” Panther said quickly, serious now, no messing around.
“Well, it sounded like it to me.” Hawk refused to back off. “You said the Cats weren’t any of our concern. You said you didn’t care about anything but staying alive. So, fine. You do what you have to do, and I’ll do the same.”
“I just don’t like takin’ chances when it ain’t necessary.
Dangerous enough out there without that.” Panther sighed. “Look, you don’t need Cheney, but you do need me. I know where they is.”
Hawk frowned. “You know where the Cats live? You know how to find them?
How do you know that?”
“Tracked ‘em. How you think? Look, you might honor that territorial code crap, but it don’t mean nuthin’ to me. I never did like the way they talked to us, so I waited for my chance one day a few months back and I tracked ‘em. Found their little hidey-hole. It ain’t far from where we went for the purification tablets a few days back.”
Hawk felt a chill run down his spine at mention of the warehouse with its dark corners and sense of evil. “They’ll have seen you. They’ll have moved on.”
Panther grinned broadly and shook his head. “Uh-uh. No one sees me if I don’t want it. They still where they was. I can show you.”
Hawk hesitated. That would save them all a lot of time. It also meant he could leave Cheney with Owl and Squirrel and take Bear, which he wanted to do.
Bear was the biggest and strongest, and he wanted him along. They would be all right without Cheney if they had Bear. Of course, he would take Candle, too, as an added precaution.
He took a deep breath. “Look, you did good.” He brought up his fist and Panther rapped it with his own. “We’re family, agree or disagree. Nothing changes that.”
“I ain’t forgot.” Panther scowled. “But it don’t change how I see things, either.”
Hawk dropped the matter, rapped on the door, and was admitted by Bear. He sent him with Panther to collect additional weapons for the outing and went over to where Owl sat watching.
“Tiger didn’t show. I think something is wrong. I’m taking the others to see if we can find out what it is.”